Hurled a bottle, said 'I hope you die': Jensen Huang's outbursts at Nvidia employees

Jensen Huang, the visionary behind Nvidia's rise to prominence in artificial intelligence, reportedly felt defeated in his final days as CEO, showing little concern for his own future. According to insiders, Huang's enthusiasm waned, replaced by phrases like "whatever" and "I don't care." People close to him described him as deeply critical of himself, even calling himself "a piece of sh*t."

The billionaire's primary preoccupation shifted to his wife, aiming to prevent any damage to her life and the lives of the women romantically entangled with him.

This dramatic change came amidst weeks of controversy surrounding allegations of extramarital affairs, including one involving Alice Huang, a Chinese businesswoman suspected of spying for China by US authorities. Huang had initially denied being unfaithful to his wife, but he later admitted to the relationship after being approached by US officials. The Financial Times reported this shift on November 6, leading to an investigation by the board, which appointed Wachtell, Lipton, Rosen & Katz to lead the inquiry.

Huang's resignation followed a board meeting on Wednesday, where it was revealed that he had a relationship with Nvidia's vice president of healthcare, Kimberly Powell. The resignation marked the end of his tenure at Nvidia, the company he had spent decades building. Colette Kress, Nvidia's CFO, was appointed as interim CEO, promising to address the situation through an all-hands meeting on November 18.

The search for a new CEO will be a significant challenge, as Huang oversaw 60 executives and held multiple roles within the company. Potential successors include Lisa Su from Advanced Micro Devices and Rene Haas from Arm Holdings. However, Nvidia lacks a traditional succession plan, complicating the search for a suitable replacement.

Huang now faces scrutiny from US lawmakers regarding his relationships and the potential exposure of Nvidia's sensitive chip technology. Despite the turmoil, Huang reportedly cared more about protecting his wife and the women linked to him than his own fate.